1. Field of Use
The presently disclosed subject matters relates to Identification cards, mobile applications, and mobile devices such as mobile phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), iPods, tablet computers, laptop computers, and similar mobile devices. More particularly, the subject matter relates to a secure identification card (SID-C) which can be used at any type of terminal equipped with a magnetic stripe reader or a short range wireless communication capability.
2. Description of Prior Art (Background)
Authentication of an individual's identity is a fundamental component of physical and logical access control processes. A wide range of mechanisms is employed to authenticate identity, utilizing various classes of identity credential. For physical access, individual identity has traditionally been authenticated by use of paper or other non automated, hand-carried credentials, such as driver's licenses and badges. Access authorization to computers and data has traditionally been authenticated through user-selected passwords. More recently, cryptographic mechanisms and biometric techniques have been used in physical and logical security applications, replacing or supplementing the traditional credentials.
The strength of the authentication that is achieved varies, depending upon the type of credential, the process used to issue the credential, and the authentication mechanism used to validate the credential. This specification establishes a standard for a Secure Identification Card (SID-C) system based on secure and reliable forms of identification credentials issued and maintained by a state or local government entity. The SIC-C is intended to authenticate an individual's identification.
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 [HSPD 12], signed by the President on Aug. 27, 2004, established the requirements for a common identification standard for identification credentials issued by Federal departments and agencies to Federal employees and contractors (including contractor employees) for gaining physical access to Federally controlled facilities and logical access to Federally controlled information systems. HSPD 12 directs the Department of Commerce to develop a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) publication to define such a common identification credential. In accordance with HSPD 12, the FIPS standard defines the technical requirements for the identity credential that—                Is issued based on sound criteria for verifying, an individual employee's identity        Is strongly resistant to identity fraud, tampering, counterfeiting, and terrorist exploitation        Can be rapidly authenticated electronically        Is issued only by providers whose reliability has been established by an official accreditation process.        
The FIPS standard defines authentication mechanisms offering varying degrees of security. Federal departments and agencies determine the level of security and authentication mechanisms appropriate for their applications. The ID cards issued by the Federal government are generally referred to as Common Access Cards or CAC cards.
However, CAC cards require a master database or locally stored active directory coupled with a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in order to determine a user's ID. In addition, CAC cards do not provide a user accessible area to store other user data, such as driver license numbers or a public area to store data such medical alert data in the event of an emergency. CAC cards do not provide a GPS locator feature.
In addition, CAC cards require sophisticated printing techniques in order to provide visual authentication that the card has not been tampered with; e.g., CAC security features include, at a minimum;                Optical varying structures        Optical varying inks        Laser etching and engraving        Holograms        Holographic images        Watermarks.        
It will be appreciated that incorporating printed security features such as watermarks, holographic images, etc., is expensive and time consuming. Moreover, once of these features has been compromised it is not a simple matter to recall and reprint security cards implementing the compromised security feature.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide a secure identification card having multiple access areas. It is also desirable to provide a secure identification card having GPS locator capability.